Punk with a cause: The ‘This Is New England’ benefit compilation

Published Friday June 21, 2013 at 5:00 pm

Updated Friday June 21, 2013 at 5:46 pm

The cover to the “This Is New England” benefit compilation.

“This Is New England,” a benefit compilation comprising punk and ska bands from all over New England, is one of those earnest efforts that, taking it on face value, makes you brace yourself. After all, a collection of bands — just about all of which, admittedly, I was largely unfamiliar with — raising money for brain cancer research and the Boston One Fund opens the door for a lot of heartfelt power ballads and emo preening.

Thankfully, this is not that album. This album is raw, low-fi rock, and frankly, it’s a total blast, one that’s worth far more than the $5 asking price. (The compilation can be downloaded from Bandcamp.)

The compilation is the brainchild of Boston writer David Rabid, and Jeff Bernoth, the guitarist for Boston-area punk band, Yo Ticonderoga, who lost his mother to cancer. The idea grew out of a concert to benefit brain cancer in honor of Bernoth’s mother.

“I brought up the idea of doing a comp so that the bands that wanted to help with a benefit show, but couldn’t make the show, could donate a song.,” says Rabid, on the compilation’s Bandcamp page. “In the wake of the marathon bombings,” he continues, “Jeff has asked that the proceeds go to both a brain cancer charity and to victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. I think this album is good mix of mostly rare and new tracks from various bands across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and even one from Maine. I can’t thank them enough for their generosity.”

The album starts with a raucous blast of punk from Boston’s Stray Bullets. The song “The Anchor” lives up to its name, establishing a tone for the compilation with its fast-paced punk energy and no-nonsense groundedness:

Boston-Rhode Island rockers Brunt Of It pick up the pace with an explosion of ska horns and cowboy chords played at a frantic pace on “Listerine.” The song’s a manic rock carnival, dizzying at times, the horns spiraling as the bass and guitars drive forward. It’s a breathtaking ride.

It’s a difficult album to pick favorites from. There’s a consistent level of quality and anarchism across the compilation. But a lot of the more ska-leaning tracks, such as “Social Muckery,” by Boston’s Big D and the Kids Table, benefit from the lean production, as the extra horns and other instruments make the sound fuller.

That being said, more straightforward rock tracks, such as Yo Ticonderoga’s “Dreamboat II,” have this garage buzz to them, making them feel a bit like the old Stiff Records punk tracks of the late ’70s, which isn’t exactly a bad sound for an indie punk band to have. And really, the song doesn’t need any “production magic” to sound great. It barrels forward at a madcap pace, adrenaline fueled and baldly cathartic.

While the album — thankfully — doesn’t have a Creed-like moment of chest-pounding self-castigation, there’s enough texture from track to track to keep it all from sounding monotonous, and the closing track, “ Have Nots ,” from Boston’s Jackson Dawn Acoustic, ends the compilation on a mellower, soulful note. It’s a great little number, one that fits in well with its brawnier siblings.

All told, this compilation is worth having just because it’s a great sampler of the region’s punk scene, and really needs no justification other than that. That it benefits a pair of good causes? That’s a bonus. (Victor D. Infante)